The latest entry of the "Star Wars" saga and middle chapter of the sequel trilogy officially hits theaters Thursday night. But what if you're not running to the theaters right away? Maybe you need a plot refresher, perhaps you've never seen the films before and want to join the bandwagon, or you might want to introduce your children to the sci-fi fantasy for the first time.

This begs an important question: With the franchise's episodes released out of order -- episodes IV, V and VI came years before I, II and III -- in what order do you watch the previous films in the franchise?

There's more than one answer, but here are your options. Be warned of some big time spoilers.

Chronological

Watch the series by episode order. Logically, this would make the most sense. "The Phantom Menace," the first in the series as far as the actual story goes, was released in 1999 -- 22 years after the franchise's debut "A New Hope."

"The Phantom Menace" kicked off the much-debated and plenty-hated prequel trilogy. If you go this route, you'll experience the series as it was intended by creator George Lucas. And as a plus, you'll get the films widely regarded as the weakest in the franchise out of the way nice and early.

Order of release

Most fans in their 30s and older experienced this films this way. "A New Hope" came out in 1977, then known simply as "Star Wars," and is a fine place to step into the series.

It sets up the famed "galaxy far, far away" nicely, while introducing mysteries about the Force, the fall of the Jedi, the fate of Luke Skywalker's father and more. You're also introduced to some of the series' best characters right off the bat -- charming smuggler Han Solo, determined Princess Leia and droid duo R2-D2 and C-3PO.

Perhaps most importantly, this method preserves the great reveal of Darth Vader's true identity. If you're a kid watching "The Empire Strikes Back" for the first time, it's unforgettable and takes "Star Wars" to an entirely new level.

Skip the prequels

Look, for all the spectacle, the prequel trilogy is justifiably regarded as the weakest part of the "Star Wars" franchise. Poor performances, iffy writing, CGI overload and a groan-inducing romance bury what could have been a dramatic and thrilling story of Anakin Skywalker's corruption and the Republic's fall.

For these reasons, many fans simply ignore the prequels. Others, however, rely on fan "recuts" that chop down the three films into one, cutting out material deemed extraneous or flat-out bad. It whittles the story to its core and might be a better option if you want to preserve a portion of the prequels and save some time on your binge.

Simply the sequels

Most people would avoid this route, but you could start watching "Star Wars" with 2015's "The Force Awakens." Episode VII successfully reintroduced the world to the franchise after the disappointment of the prequels.

New fans could start their journey into "Star Wars" here, but that'd be ill-advised. You'd be missing a lot of context and character development. The new characters are great, but nostalgia was a big part of "The Force Awakens." Of course, for a kid just dipping their toes in the franchise, that might not matter as much.

What to do about 'Rogue One'?

Last year's well-received "Rogue One" was the first of Disney's one-off "Star Wars Stories." It fits between Episodes III and IV, though it literally leads into the start of "A New Hope."

If you're watching in chronological order, it's easy to slot this in your marathon. But if you're watching by order of release, you're going from Episode III to VII to "Rogue One" and to the upcoming "The Last Jedi." It's a little confusing to franchise newbies. Like the prequels, you can skip it, but if you're a completionist, it fits best in a chronological watch.